No matter their size or structure, all temples of Mystra were built with a central well at their heart.
This well served as a sacred site where followers gathered daily to offer their prayers.
Over countless years, faith energy had accumulated in this place like an invisible torrent, surging beneath the well's depths.
According to legend, at certain moments, the great goddess Mystra would cast her divine gaze upon the temple and absorb every trace of this faith energy.
However, in this temple, the energy remained untouched, radiating a faint golden glow like a vast ocean of divinity.
It was precisely because of this that Qi had brought Lynn here to attempt to absorb the faith energy.
Qi walked slowly to the well, his jade-like fingers extending slightly as if sensing something.
A faint golden glow flickered at his fingertips, and as he moved, the golden light spread out like delicate threads, sinking into the central well.
At that moment, the sculptures and inscriptions around the well seemed to come to life. Ancient runes shimmered with soft radiance, rippling outward like waves.
A sacred and solemn aura spread throughout the temple.
These ripples were not mere energy they were something more pure and noble: the divine power of faith itself.
This energy was invisible and colorless, like the wind, yet it carried an undeniable sense of weight as if Mystra's will was watching over everything.
"Activate the Azure Sky Spirit. It will act on its own."
Qi turned his head to look at Lynn, his gaze calm.
In truth, even if Qi had not spoken, Lynn could already feel something stirring.
On his chest, the Azure Sky Spirit was trembling slightly, emitting a faint azure glow as if thirsting for a long-awaited offering.
Lynn could sense its hunger, as though the artifact was urging him to feed its innate desire.
"Whoosh!"
With a single thought, a brilliant streak of azure light erupted from Lynn's chest, shooting forward like a falling star.
The light radiated an irresistible pull, instantly forming a halo resembling an azure sun, enveloping Lynn within.
In that instant, beneath the well, the accumulated faith energy dormant for so long erupted like a raging tide, surging madly toward the center of Lynn's chest.
Golden strands of divine energy, thin as silk, were drawn forth by the Azure Sky Spirit, streaming into the azure glow.
"Buzz!"
A sudden chorus of whispers filled Lynn's ears the fervent prayers of countless devotees.
"The goddess above…"
"We offer our highest reverence to the Weave…"
The voices were distant and ethereal, carrying deep reverence and awe yet to Lynn, they were nothing more than grating noise, unsettling and intrusive.
"Try activating your extraordinary plant and linking it with the Azure Sky Spirit."
As Lynn frowned slightly, Qi's voice echoed in his mind, guiding him with quiet assurance.
Lynn's focus sharpened. Without hesitation, he activated "Yfgríd," the extraordinary plant within his mental domain.
"Boom!"
At that moment, the phantom of a towering tree materialized behind him.
It stood several meters tall, its massive trunk coiled like a mythical dragon, its lush canopy sprawling like an emerald umbrella, radiating boundless vitality.
Its roots burrowed deep into the earth, while its leaves shimmered with soft, green luminescence.
"Why is the faith energy of Mystra's Weave being absorbed by the Azure Sky Spirit?"
Lynn furrowed his brows in confusion.
Faith energy was supposed to be exclusive to a deity, imbued with strong divine attributes.
Could another god steal this faith energy?
And why was the Azure Sky Spirit able to devour it so effortlessly?
Qi, sensing Lynn's doubts, let out a soft chuckle, his expression calm as he explained:
"Other gods can absorb this faith energy, but their efficiency is less than one-tenth of its full potential, and they would inevitably incur the wrath of the original deity. However, the Azure Sky Spirit you hold is the divine essence of a god that no longer exists in this world…"
"It has been starving for far too long. Even faith energy devoid of divine nature will be instinctively consumed. And since a divine essence lacks thoughts or will, it has no fear of offending another deity."
"Once absorbed by the Azure Sky Spirit, this faith energy will be completely purified, leaving behind nothing but pure mental power. You can use this energy to enhance your mind."
Lynn listened intently, deep in thought. His expression remained serious, as he did not act immediately.
After a brief pause, he asked hesitantly:
"Am I truly able to absorb this faith energy? Will there be any side effects? If my mental power becomes contaminated… or if I start developing faith in the Weave Goddess… that would be a disaster."
Qi glanced at him, a trace of helpless amusement flickering in his eyes.
Even now, this frail wizard remained so cautious perhaps even overly careful.
But instead of being annoyed by such caution, Qi felt somewhat satisfied.
After all, prioritizing caution was one of the reasons he had chosen Lynn in the first place.
So, he could only explain helplessly while taking the opportunity to elaborate on the origins of faith power.
"Faith power, at its core, is nothing more than the spiritual energy that those poor believers voluntarily offer up. Under the guidance and summons of divine power, it condenses into a special form of energy."
"With the influence of Azure Sky Spirit, the divine essence within this faith power will be completely stripped away, leaving behind only the purest mental energy. Such energy won't contaminate you in any way on the contrary, it can be safely absorbed and utilized."
He paused slightly, a subtle, meaningful expression flickering in his eyes.
"Besides, don't wizards in your world also hunt mortals, harvesting their mental energy for research and cultivation? Compared to that, faith power is a much purer and safer source of spiritual energy."
Lynn, hearing this, slowly gained some understanding.
So, the origin of faith power lay in the spiritual energy that believers willingly contributed.
Each believer would offer an almost imperceptible amount of faith energy daily so minuscule that it was nearly immeasurable.
Yet, with the accumulation of time and numbers, faith power would inevitably grow into a vast ocean, ultimately forming a considerable reserve.
And at that moment, the gods would begin their harvest.
In fact, during the ancient times of the wizarding world, there had indeed been dark wizards who slaughtered mortals indiscriminately, plundering their mental energy to enhance their own power.
However, this method had never become mainstream.
After all, a mortal's mental energy was chaotic and impure. Absorbing it without purification would cause irreversible damage and pollution to one's mental domain.
Moreover, high-level wizards who had the means to purify such energy found this method far too crude and inefficient to be worthwhile.
For wizards of their caliber, trying to advance by massacring mortals would require the slaughter of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, just to gain a minor improvement…
Because of this, as the Wizarding Council rose to power and established strict rules, such indiscriminate killing became nearly extinct.
Only in some hidden corners of the world could one still hear rumors of blood sacrifices and necromantic rituals, but they were nothing more than remnants of a bygone era, unable to stir up any real trouble.
Lynn shook his head slightly, pushing these thoughts aside.
Since Qi had personally assured him of the safety of faith power, he could now absorb it without worry.
Following Qi's guidance, he carefully controlled the Azure Sky Spirit, establishing a unique connection between it and Yfgríd.
In an instant, the Azure Sky Spirit radiated strands of ethereal blue light, rippling outward around Lynn like spiritual waves.
The once wildly surging faith power was first absorbed by the Azure Sky Spirit before being purified and transformed into a gentle, nourishing energy that flowed into Lynn's body like a steady stream.
The energy coursed through his limbs and bones, finally converging into his mental domain.
At that moment, Lynn felt as if he were wrapped in a warm embrace. His mental domain was soothed as if receiving a careful massage.
The previously dry and depleted pool of his soul gradually filled, becoming rich and abundant.
That incredible sensation made him instinctively close his eyes, as though he were drifting in a dreamlike state his consciousness floating weightlessly, detached from time itself.
He had no idea how long it lasted before the comfort abruptly vanished, snapping him back to reality.
Looking around, he realized that the faith power within the temple's central atrium had been completely drained by the Azure Sky Spirit, leaving the entire space silent and empty.
Lynn quickly directed his mental energy inward, assessing the changes within himself.
His mental domain had undergone a complete transformation.
The critical thresholds for a first-tier wizard were:
Early-stage peak: 125 points
Mid-stage peak: 150 points
Late-stage peak: 175 points
Previously, his mental energy had only been at 115 points, leaving a vast, unfilled space in his mental domain.
But now, his mental energy surged like a mighty river, nearly overflowing!
With a single thought, the exact number surfaced in his mind
"My mental energy... is now 130 points!"
Lynn's eyes widened sharply, his heart trembling with excitement.
This wasn't just a substantial numerical increase it marked a fundamental qualitative shift in his mental domain.
However, he quickly regained his composure, realizing that his mental energy was still unstable, overflowing chaotically.
Advancing as a first-tier wizard wasn't simply about amassing raw mental power it required compression and refinement to stabilize the increase.
His next step would be to activate the Azure Sky Meditation Technique, condensing and purifying this newfound energy, securing his place in the mid-stage of a first-tier wizard!
Taking a deep breath, Lynn's eyes gleamed with newfound vigor. His entire being felt revitalized stronger than ever.
He slowly stretched his limbs, sensing the abundant power coursing through him, barely restraining his exhilaration.
As the saying goes, "A horse grows fat from grazing at night," and Lynn's meteoric rise in strength was the perfect embodiment of this truth.
In just a single night, his mental energy had skyrocketed by 15 points!
Thinking back to all the resources and rare potions he had painstakingly gathered just to increase his mental energy by the same amount in the past, Lynn couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of it all.
Each drop of potion had taken an immense amount of effort to acquire. Every bit of progress had required countless hours of meditation and refinement.
Yet now, simply by absorbing the faith power of a single branch temple of the Goddess of the Weave, he had gained a boost equivalent to dozens of high-grade potions!
A dangerous glint flashed in Lynn's eyes as he instinctively licked his lips.
This 13th Plane World… surely must have many temples belonging to the Goddess of the Weave, right?
If they could wipe them all out one by one, how vast would the amount of faith power be? It would be unimaginable even for him!
By then, in just a few short months, he would be able to step into the realm of a Second Level Wizard!
However, reason quickly pulled him back from his feverish thoughts.
Lynn took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
Unrealistic...
He was well aware that the reason he could easily wipe out this branch temple was entirely due to Qi's assistance.
Without Qi's help, just the bishop at the level of a Seventh-Circle Mage would have been enough to push him into a desperate situation.
Even those divine priests at the levels of Six-Ring and Five-Circle Mages would have been sufficient to surround and kill him.
As Lynn was lost in thought, Qi remained calm and composed, showing no surprise at Lynn's changes.
He didn't even ask about Lynn's improvement; he merely nodded slightly, as if he had already discerned Lynn's strength at a glance.
He simply gave a slight nod and said indifferently:
"Not bad. The Azure Sky Spirit and your state are both stable. This was a good harvest."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi raised his palm slightly toward the sky. A golden light streaked across the night sky, slowly blooming in the dark canopy.
A dreamlike equilibrium space emerged in the night, its radiance flowing like a gateway to another world.
Lynn and Qi exchanged a glance, and their figures slowly rose into the air, stepping toward the ethereal space.
Just as they were about to enter the equilibrium space, Qi's voice once again reached Lynn's ears. His tone remained indifferent, with a hint of casual detachment:
"Rest for a while. Next time I need you, the witch will notify you."
Lynn's heart trembled at those words, and his eyes suddenly sharpened!
There will be a next time!
That single sentence instantly stirred up overwhelming joy and anticipation within him.
If he could experience a few more of these "opportunities," his spiritual power would grow at an unimaginable rate!
Advancing to a Second Level Wizard in a short time wouldn't be a challenge at all!
Lynn abruptly turned to look at Qi, only to find his face as indifferent as ever, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
However, in the next moment, Qi's gaze subtly shifted, and for the briefest instant, a flicker of emotion surged in his eyes so fleeting, yet Lynn caught it keenly.
Following Qi's line of sight, Lynn looked over and saw that outside the ruins of the Mystra Temple, a group of unfamiliar figures had gathered.
Unlike the divine priests they had slain earlier, these people wore tattered, rough clothing instead of mage robes or sacred insignias.
Strangely, however, each of them bore a vertical third eye on their forehead, their skin tinged with a faint greenish hue as if carrying a metallic texture.
Their eyes were bloodshot, their faces contorted with fury and fanaticism as they glared at Lynn and Qi, cursing and shouting incessantly.
Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully observing the strange beings.
These were the native inhabitants of this plane.
After the Goddess of the Weave conquered this world, they had become her followers, serving as the lowest-ranking zealots guarding the temple's periphery.
Even though he couldn't understand their language, their frenzied expressions and twisted faces made their rage obvious.
"Should we deal with them?"
Lynn asked softly, his gaze cautious.
To his surprise, Qi merely waved his hand dismissively, his eyes carrying a rare hint of melancholy and desolation.
"Let's go. They're just a bunch of pitiful souls."
His voice was calm, yet tinged with a faint sigh an inexplicable, indescribable sorrow.
Lynn was momentarily stunned, gazing at Qi's slightly lowered profile.
He had never imagined that this cold, ruthless man decisive in his killings would show a moment of mercy.
After all, whether it was high-ranking Morning Star Wizards, ordinary wizard apprentices, or the divine mages of the gods' civilization, Qi had always wiped them out without hesitation, as if it were second nature.
Yet now, he had chosen to spare these fanatical believers.
Lynn felt a subtle pang in his heart as if he had grasped something.
"Perhaps… he understands their pain?"
After all, Qi's homeland the once-glorious world of his civilization had long been utterly destroyed under the gods' iron rule.
The ancient texts had been completely erased, and their language had faded into oblivion.
His people had fought to the last, shedding blood to resist the gods' civilization, yet countless had perished.
Even those who survived were reduced to mere "faith providers," living like livestock nothing more than a continuous source of divine energy.
Neither true believers nor free beings just fuel.
The despair of such total subjugation, the agony of an annihilated civilization who could truly comprehend it?
Looking at the maddened, shrieking, and cursing believers before him, Lynn suddenly felt they were pitiful.
Their civilization, language, and faith had long since been obliterated under the Goddess of the Weave's rule.
And in the end, they had become her most loyal hounds, willing to die to defend the very deity who had conquered them.
How utterly ironic and tragic.
At that moment, a golden radiance suddenly expanded, rippling through the night sky like waves, completely engulfing Lynn and Qi.
As the golden light faded, the night returned to silence, leaving only the frantic cries of the strange believers.
Yet their voices received no response only the vast, cold darkness remained.
...
At the Thirteenth War Fortress, the atmosphere was tense and suffocating.
The night wind howled, battle flags fluttered under the dim sky, yet within the war fortress, torches burned brightly as activity continued through the night.
At the very top of the fortress, in the conference hall, the tension had reached its peak.
Grand Wizard Yude and Grand Wizard Earl stood side by side in silence, their expressions grim, cold sweat faintly seeping from their foreheads.
Earlier that day, Grand Wizard Yude had urgently transmitted intelligence regarding the mysterious wizard to the Eastern War Zone.
Not long after the message was delivered, the Morning Star Wizard from the Eastern War Zone swiftly responded.
However, to their bitter dismay, the response was far from what they had expected.
Originally, the Thirteenth War Fortress had already been abandoned due to a string of military defeats. The Eastern War Zone had long given up on it.
Whether it was war supplies, reinforcements, or logistical support, everything had vanished without a trace like stones sinking into the sea.
Even during the last post-war meeting of the Eastern War Zone, that Morning Star Wizard had never once glanced at Yude and Earl, completely ignoring their existence.
The Thirteenth War Fortress had been all but abandoned.
Yet now, with just a single piece of intelligence "a suspected Morning Star-level enemy" this decaying fortress had suddenly been revived.
Waves of resources, supplies, and manpower surged into the fortress like a tidal wave.
Newly developed war constructs, crystal energy cannons, and composite shield cores were continuously transported in, while high-grade potions and magical energy crystals piled up like mountains.
Even an elite Wizard regiment had been swiftly dispatched, with numbers and specifications so astonishing that they left people in awe.
Previously, the two Grand Wizards had racked their brains, trying to request resources from the Eastern War Zone to repair the bitter aftermath of their defeat, but they received no response whatsoever.
Now, although they had finally received the resources they had longed for, there was not even the slightest trace of joy on their faces.
This abundance of support might allow the fortress to regain its vitality and even fully undo the consequences of its previous defeat.
But for the two Third-Level Grand Wizards, this was not necessarily a good thing.
After all, Grand Wizard Yude had personally encountered that terrifying and mysterious Wizard.
Yude slowly closed his eyes, recalling the dreadful moment that had left a lasting imprint in his mind.
That day, his avatar had followed the trail, intending to investigate the origins of that Wizard.
However, at the very moment, that figure lifted their hand slightly, a pale, jade-like finger flicked ever so gently.
In the next instant, his avatar shattered instantly, vanishing into nothingness, without even the slightest chance to resist.
Third-Level Grand Wizard Yude had not even been able to sense the fluctuations of that Wizard's power before his death had already been sealed in the blink of an eye.
That suffocating sense of oppression still haunted his soul like a nightmare, making it impossible to calm his mind.
Grand Wizard Earl looked at Yude's pale expression, swallowed nervously, suppressed the fear in his heart, and asked in a low voice,
"What do we do now?"
Yude did not answer immediately. He remained silent for a long time.
He gazed at the gloomy moon outside the window, his eyes deep and obscure, with a hint of profound fear lurking within his pupils.
Earl felt a chill in his heart, his expression grave as he watched Yude.
He had never personally witnessed that terrifying existence, but from Yude's description alone, he could already imagine such an overwhelming, world-destroying power.
That mysterious Wizard was like a sword of Damocles, suspended above the Thirteenth War Fortress, ready to fall at any moment and crush them to dust.
The shadow of death loomed ever closer, suffocating the very air around them.
Within the war fortress, the square echoed with shouts from training exercises, the clang of metal upon metal ringing through the cold night.
Yet Yude and Earl both understood that these defensive measures and reinforcements were nothing more than a futile display.
Against that mysterious Wizard, all their preparations were nothing but a paper shield, fragile and utterly useless.
"Let's hope the Morning Star Wizards can deal with that mysterious Wizard soon..."
Yude murmured.
Then suddenly, his pupils contracted slightly as a thought struck him, and he spoke.
"This time, three young Wizards also encountered that mysterious Wizard... yet they survived. Perhaps..."
....
This planar world was now divided into two parts one controlled by the Wizards and the other by the forces of the Goddess.
The division was roughly three to seven, with Wizards holding only thirty percent of the world, while the Goddess's forces occupied the remaining seventy percent.
At the heart of this vast ocean of faith, within the domain of the Goddess's influence, stood a towering temple that pierced the sky, gazed upon in reverence by all.
This was the sacred core of the Goddess's dominion, and at its pinnacle, a brilliant Starstone gleamed with radiant light.
At the very center of this temple resided the legendary Seven Stars.
The Seven Stars were the most powerful mages under the Goddess's command, each of them surpassing the limits of a Ninth-Circle Mage and stepping into the realm of Legendary Mages.
They had originally resided within this supreme temple, but ever since that fateful day when seven beams of starlight intertwined like a dazzling river of stars and descended upon this world even these exalted beings dared not enter the temple's core so lightly.
For in the deepest part of the temple lay a crystal coffin, its surface cold and translucent, radiating a soft glow.
Within that crystal coffin rested a woman of unparalleled beauty, her long, ink-black hair cascading like a silken waterfall, flowing down to the crystalline base.
This was the earthly incarnation of the Goddess of the Weave her divine avatar.
The woman's face was flawless, her skin as radiant and delicate as fine jade, her long lashes resting gently like butterfly wings.
Her delicate lips were as soft as freshly blossomed cherry petals, and her nose was straight and elegant, bestowing an air of ethereal grace.
She was dressed in a dark, silky robe, its fabric smooth and flowing, simple yet elegant. The hem of her garment spread gently within the crystal coffin, accentuating her graceful figure.
Her fair arms rested lightly by her sides, while her bare, jade-like feet peeked from beneath the hem of her robe, exuding a warm, translucent glow.
Around her waist, she wore a jeweled netted girdle, adorned with exquisite rubies and sapphires that shimmered like fallen stars.
It was said that the Goddess of the Weave was merely slumbering, gathering her strength, waiting for the perfect moment to awaken.
The Seven Stars firmly believed that when the Goddess finally opened her eyes, it would mark the moment of their grand counteroffensive the moment they would drive the Wizards from this planar world once and for all.
At that moment, the night was as dark as ink, shrouding the entire temple in an abyss of silence.
At the temple's highest spire, only the howling wind whispered through the night.
Then suddenly, within the dead silence, a soft murmur echoed like a gentle stream, drifting across the still air:
"Shang... Ti... Ya..."
The voice was tender and ethereal like ripples spreading across the surface of the water.
The next instant, the long lashes of the slumbering beauty within the crystal coffin trembled ever so slightly, as if butterfly wings had brushed against them.
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